HOLLOW WORLD // Premiere New Album ‘Exanimate’ EXCLUSIVE

Hysteria Mag is proud to premiere the latest bone crushing LP from Melbourne melodeath journeymen Hollow World, titled Exanimate. Listen now!

Exanimate is a “double idea” concept album. Two stories converge: One story centres on super-virus that wipes out the human race. The second story is of the human race being a virus that wipes out the world— rendering it uninhabitable.

Vocalist Ben Roberts explains more behind the concepts, saying: “The most challenging part about approaching this subject (Exanimate is a volatile reaction to the world we live in now, the mindset that everything is disposable and the effect that it is having on the world itself and all the species that inhabit the Earth) was definitely to make sure I included enough about myself in the lyrics. Humans are disgusting and I’m no exception. We all take part in the system that is ridiculed on the album.

“The thing that I wanted to convey above all else is that we are all culpable—it’s not just a handful of powerful people making the decisions that lead to the human race being eradicated in the the story—every member of society stood by and let it happen. I think that it’s quite easy to touch on this sort of subject matter and come across as a sort of preacher—someone who is above what is being written about. To include yourself as culpable in the story (in my opinion) is more than relevant—it’s imperative.”

Exanimate drops this Friday, 17 March. You can pre-order the album at Hollow World’s website.

HOLLOW WORLD EXANIMATE ALBUM REVIEW

By Daniel Bonnici

Hollow World return, crashing through the gates at pulverising, breakneck speeds on their highly anticipated new record, Exanimate. The Melbourne death metal troupe intricately and weave a web of true devastation as they work their way through the 11 song apocalyptic narrative, detailing the destruction of human kind.

The term ‘exanimate’ is defined as something which shows no sign of life. An ironic title, given the level energy, savagery and pure death metal spirit that broods within the binding and constricting walls built by Hollow World on Exanimate. The album’s sombre and bleak atmosphere is captured brilliantly by producer Ermin Hamidovic, and the band themselves have excelled in creating a grand and sordid soundtrack to the end of the world, soaked in technicality, brutality and brilliant melody.

Though Hollow World stick very close to the brand of metal they have gained a reputation for creating, and there are not many surprises to be found on the record, the band have clearly refined their craft and matured in their musical perspective. This has allowed them to create a moody and fluent record sure to be beloved by fans of this strain for years to come.     

8/10

STICK THIS NEXT TO: At The Gates, The Black Dahlia Murder, Darkest Hour
STANDOUT TRACKS: Reverse Transcription, Wildfire, & Infect, Replace, Disintegrate